Petition urges Wellesley schools to adopt a hybrid, in-school model for September

An online petition has been circulating among Wellesley Public Schools families asking for signatures of support in exhorting the WPS administration to adopt a hybrid, in-person learning  model for the fall. The goal: to get the town’s 1,500+  K-12 students and their teachers back into the classroom in September.

The petitioners start out by saying, “We implore WPS teachers to get back into the classroom at the start of school in September. Wellesley students’ education has been waylaid since March 13th, and every delay creates a wider and wider gap in their core and fundamental learning. We have seen the concerns about returning to school put forth by our teachers through Wellesley Educators Association. While we share the goals of safety and optimal learning approaches for our students, we strongly believe this can be accomplished in a hybrid back-to-school model. Fortunately, much has been learned about safety and health protocols with Massachusetts leading the charge, and we find ourselves in a strong position to move forward with school in the classrooms beginning in September. Wellesley parents believe this is the best approach for our students and our town.”

From there petitioners, who identify as Wellesley Public School Parents & Families, lay out their beliefs in the efficacy of a hybrid model; what they say is the need for students to have direct interaction teachers and peers; and their recognition that things may change at any time.

The petition has over 400 signatures.

The Wellesley Educator’s Association last month in a letter to the editors of The Swellesley Report agrees that a hybrid model is the way to go. However the Association maintains that the best approach is to start school in a remote setting and transition to a hybrid model after staff training, safety, and needs assessments.

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